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Thousands of trade unionists from across the UK gathered in London on May Day for the march and rally for workplace justice organised jointly by the TUC and the London May Day Organising Committee.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone, TUC President Gloria Mills and representatives of both the international trade union movement and major unions in Britain were among the speakers.
General Secretary Brendan Barber reminded those gathered in Trafalgar Square that May Day marked both a celebration of the trade union movement's achievements and a call to remedy the huge outstanding injustices and inequalities.
He said: "We need stronger laws to right workplace injustice and stronger unions to give workers a powerful voice." He also renewed the call for a trade union freedom bill to allow unions to protect their members.
To view the full text of his speech click here
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Latest news:
The most recent documents available in this 'TUC in action' area are:
Iranian police violently suppress peaceful May Day workers' demonstration
Attempts by Iranian workers to celebrate May Day through a peaceful demonstration called by independent trade union organisations (see below for list) were violently repressed by the Iranian government, according to eye witness reports. Forty-seven trade unionists remain in prison.
Unions celebrate May Day in Iraqi Kurdistan
As well as May Day demonstrations in Baghdad and Basra, Iraqi Kurdistan also saw May Day demonstrations. In Sulymaniah, the leader of the General Workers and Craft Syndicate Union of Kurdistan, Sardar Rashed, led a demonstration.
Iraqi unions celebrate May Day
Iraqi trade unions once famously celebrated May Day in 1959, with a million people on the streets of Baghdad to celebrate the fall of the monarchy. This year, 50 years later, the celebrations were smaller, but the trade union movement and the Iraqi Communist Party are rebuilding.
European Trade Union Leader sends May Day Greetings to North West workers
John Monks, the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation has sent the following message on May Day to trade unionists and their families in the North West:
TUC says no to repression of May Day protests in Iran
The TUC has joined with trade unionists from around the world to call on the Iranian Government not to prevent independent Iranian trade unionists from demonstrating this May Day.
Unions to celebrate May Day in virtual world
May Day (Thursday 1 May) sees the launch of Union Island, an innovative new trade union project to build a home for unions and activists in the virtual world Second Life. Union Island will host the first ever virtual May Day, a day of training, networking and celebration to bring activists from the global union movement together in a way never before possible.
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